Belfast school violence escalates

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Violence at a Catholic girls school in Belfast has escalated with a bomb thrown at police lines, injuring two officers and causing panic among children and parents.

The explosion came as Protestant protesters in the Ardoyne Road confronted girls and their parents on their way to Holy Cross Primary School for a third day on Wednesday.

Children, aged between four and 11, screamed in terror and one woman fainted after the blast. They were hurried along a security corridor towards the school.

Two police officers sustained shrapnel wounds and two others were treated for minor injuries.

MORE STORIES • Parents recall bomb terror   • On the scene: 15 minutes of terror     EXTRA INFORMATION • In pictures: Running the gauntlet of hate   • Q & A: Belfast school violence     AUDIO CNN's Matthew Chance: Parents and children shaken and upset 1.58 MB / 2 mins 27 secs WAV sound GMTV's John Stapleton reports on the bomb blast in Ardoyne Road 1.66 MB / 2 mins 34 secs WAV sound

Three men were later arrested in connection with the bomb attack.

Anne Tanney, the head teacher at the school, said some of the girls arrived in "a terrible state of panic."

"I'm really horrified and disgusted that this kind of thing could happen to children. To think that someone would throw a blast bomb is unbelievable," Tanney told the Associated Press.

Nearly 100 girls -- two-thirds of the student body -- were given lessons and came to school, doubling the numbers from Tuesday.

As Northern Ireland Office security minister Jane Kennedy met unionist and nationalist representatives to discuss the situation, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams called on loyalists to abandon the protest.

Accusing hardline Protestant politicians and loyalist paramilitaries were exploiting the situation, the West Belfast MP said: "There can be no excuse, no justification for the sectarian abuse and violence directed at the children and their parents as they try to make their way to school.

"Children have a right to education and a right to travel to and from their school free from threat and intimidation," he told the UK's Press Association.

"The blockade of the Holy Cross School and the loyalist protest should end now.

"There is an orchestrated campaign of bomb attacks, intimidation and gun attacks against Catholic families and businesses, sports bodies and churches and now schools.

"This is a disgraceful situation that demands the strongest criticism from political leaders, church leaders and civic society."

Within hours of the attack, the Red Hand Defenders militia claimed responsibility.

The militia's name is often used as a cover by Protestant loyalist paramilitary groups including the Ulster Defence Association (UDA)and the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). The UDA are meant to be observing a crease-fire.

Billy Hutchinson, of the Progresive Unionist Party whose party is linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), later condemned the bomb attack and accepted he had helped inflame the tense situation.

The Northern Ireland assemblyman for North Belfast told PA: "I was disgusted to be a loyalist this morning when I saw that happen and I won't change that statement.

Parents and children run for cover after a bomb is thrown near their school

"But I will stand with this community to protect their rights and I will argue for them as an elected representative.

"We can't walk away from this, this thing needs to be finished in a structured way, not in an unstructured way. I have been part of it and I'm not leaving it until it is finished."

Hutchinson insisted the bomb attack had not been launched by residents in the Protestant Glenbryn area but refused to single out the culprits.

He added: "I hold my hands up, I take my responsibility and share of the blame for what happened this morning when those children were coming up the road.

"I have been here, I have made statements, I have probably inflamed the situation.

"I have also tried to calm people down, I have done all of those things and I take responsibility fully for what happened this morning."

Later in the day up to 80 children were escorted from Holy Cross back down the Ardoyne Road by parents and police.

Apart from a few jeers from loyalist youths the crowd did not encounter any protests.

The violence has prompted Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid to cut short his summer holiday and deal with the issue. It is believed he will return to the province before the weekend.

Army experts examined two suspect packages on Wednesday morning, but the all-clear was given after a controlled explosion.

About 250 petrol bombs and 15 blast bombs were thrown at police lines during disturbances close to the area during Tuesday night.

Rubble was strewn across the Ardoyne Road on Wednesday as well as the nearby Glenbryn area where a large crowd of loyalists threw bottles, bricks, fireworks and ball bearings at the security forces.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said the scenes at the Holy Cross school were unacceptable and overshadowed genuine concerns among Protestants living in the area.

Trimble added: "The present situation is appalling. There is a serious danger that the problems could spread to other schools in the area."